Features of IUTOnline Platform

The IUTOnline platform comprises four basic models/features of course delivery. Those are:

Entirely Online

This feature allows teacher, students and facilitator to be connected anytime anywhere through IUTOnline Learning Management System (LMS) having a built-in Web Conferencing System (WCS). All activities of a traditional classroom (e.g. writing in the whiteboard, instant quizzes) can be mapped to this online system. The existing infrastructure (LMS server locally hosted and WCS in the Cloud) permits maximum 100 students at a time or 2 classes of 50 concurrent students or 4 of 25 to participate in teaching-learning. However, users can be increased by incorporating a high-end dedicated server or purchasing a better option in the Cloud for WCS.

Facilitated Online Class & Seminar/Workshop

Formal class, seminar or workshop can be conducted by providing remote access of IUTOnline to a Professor of a renowned university in Australia, Canada, UK or USA or to a prominent alumnus in Microsoft, Google or Amazon. A digital smartboard works as an interface between the teacher and facilitator/students in this feature. The students may sit in a classroom equipped with a digital smartboard and a webcam, and faciliated by a teaching assistant. In this platform a teacher can do all activities of a traditional class including presentation, writing in the whiteboard and answering questions. The facilitator can take question from the students and write in the chatbox of the platform for attention of the respective teacher. Any number of students can participate in this type of online education system.

Live Class through Social Media

It allows telecasting live class through popular social media such as YouTube and Facebook inside IUTOnline platform with instant formative quizzes through mobile applications, then recording and editing the video for future reference. The edited videos can be used later for developing an eCourseware repository having SSL and payment gateway in order to disseminate quality online education to different OIC Member States with little or no fees. It is a very cost-effective method of course delivery and often requires no server and load balancing, handled by the social media itself.

eCourseware Repository

eCourseware repository can be developed by adding several completed courses of similar nature (e.g. 3-4 courses on web design) in a customized WordPress site. It is similar to MIT/Harvard courseware, which includes lecture in one side and presentation or whiteboard animation on the other side of a video. This type of content repository can be useful for adult and distance learners.

Connectivism - A Learning Theory for the Digital Age

"Knowledge is not just that which is delivered via a pre-packaged curriculum but rather distributed across a network of connections and therefore, learning consists of the ability to construct and traverse those networks" - George Siemens, Athabasca University, Canada